1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electrical connector having a shutter.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electrical connector has an opening for plug-in connection with a mating connector. The electrical connector is usually provided with a shutter on the opening to prevent dust from entering the opening from the outside when the mating connector is not connected with the electrical connector for a long time. When the mating connector is plugged in the connector, the mating connector pushes and moves the shutter in an opening direction.
An example of such an electrical connector having a shutter is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Kokai No. 2004-71400. An opening of the electrical connector has a rectangular shape with the width greater than the height. Lids of two shutter members move upwards and downwards in opposite directions to open or close the opening. The two shutter members are made of synthetic resin and have rotating arms, on the sides thereof, which are rotatably supported by shafts provided in a housing having a shell (a shield case). The rotating arms are provided with helical torsion coil springs to bias the shutter members in a closed direction. The corresponding edges of the lids of the two shutter members abut against each other to close the opening. When an induction part provided on the lids is pushed by the mating connector, the shutter members surmount the bias force of the coil spring and move in the opening direction to enable the plug-in with the mating connector.
However, the above conventional connector requires the helical torsion coil spring so that the manufacturing cost increases, the assembly is complicated, the connector becomes large, and it is difficult to secure the strength of the shutter member.
Firstly, the connector requires the coil spring as well as the shutter members, the stock and management of necessary parts and assembly thereof become complicated. It is well known that the handling of the helical torsion coil spring during the assembly is troublesome.
Secondly, in the above conventional connector, a groove having a plane shape of C is formed to accommodate the shaft which rotatably supports the rotating arm of the shutter member. The shaft has the coil spring to bias the rotating arm. Consequently, a large space is required in an axis direction of the shaft to provide the coil spring. Consequently, the connector becomes large in a widthwise direction thereof.